


Weaving Family

by PrairieDawn



Series: Extended Meatballverse [4]
Category: MASH (TV), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Betazoid Wedding, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Nonsexual Nudity, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:20:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrairieDawn/pseuds/PrairieDawn
Summary: FWP (Fluff Without Plot)Walter O'Reilly marries his sweetheart with friends old and new to witness the event.An Extended Meatballverse Epilogue
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock, Radar O'Reilly/OFC
Series: Extended Meatballverse [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1100532
Comments: 21
Kudos: 34





	Weaving Family

**Author's Note:**

> Minor content warning: The following fic depicts a Betazoid wedding in the traditional style, in which all present are unclothed. There is mention of children being present, though no one is described in physical detail, and the nudity is not characterized as sexual.

Jim Kirk strolled out of the private changing room at the edge of the wedding garden naked as a newborn infant, his sandy hair luminous from the dryer if a little flyaway without product. His finger and toenails had been trimmed and buffed but were unpolished, and his usual touch of shadow and toner were absent. The stipulation that all wedding guests present themselves openly and honestly, with no cosmetic alterations, was followed strictly by the bride and her family, and he and Spock had both agreed to follow tradition. 

Spock took a moment to appreciate his bondmate’s extraordinary beauty. He felt gray and angular in comparison, and he was painfully aware that his emotions would be easier to read from his face without the concealment foundation helped to provide. 

“Your hair!” Jim exclaimed in evident delight. “I’ve never seen it this curly!” He ran a hand through it, his amused appreciation seeping through the contact. Spock allowed himself the barest softening of lips, an expression Jim would interpret as a smile.

A childish squeal turned both their heads. The changing rooms were separated from the gardens by heavy curtains rather than doors, and the rest of the guests were clearly beginning to emerge. “Shall we, Jim?” Spock said. 

Jim took his arm and they stepped into a bower woven from living branches and vines, festooned with an abundance of colorful flowers, ripening grapes and a few less familiar fruits. There were no chairs, though a few soft cushions were spread on the clover and soft grass. Quite a few of the groom’s friends and family members had been able to make the trip to Betazed, though some looked as though they might regret having come. He recognized BJ Hunnicutt along with his wife and husband and presumed that their children were among the seven that had congregated in one corner, chattering, the lone blond head among them belonging most likely to Erin. Brigadier General Potter chatted with a few older members of the bride’s family, looking remarkably at ease. Dr. McCoy looked as though he was half hiding behind Margaret, who was making a game effort to draw the groom’s mother into conversation, presumably to distract her from her state of undress.

A chorus of chimes rang through the air and those who were speaking fell silent. The bride and groom entered from opposite sides of the bower, both as unadorned as the rest of the wedding party. He recalled the two of them accepting their ranks and assignments at the graduation ceremony fifteen days before, both to the mercy ship Semmelweis, Lau to Engineering, O’Reilly, soon to be Lau, to Communications. Trinna Lau was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes entirely focused on Walter O’Reilly, who was blushing bright pink and clearly hanging on to his fiancee’s gaze like a flashlight in the dark. Spock knew the feeling. Jim caught his train of thought and squeezed his hand.  _ You will always be my light _ , Spock said.

Jim chucked his chin in the direction of the proceedings. The two new-minted officers laced their hands together and gazed into each other’s eyes.

An older woman stepped forward. Father Mulcahy stood at her right hand, looking surprisingly comfortable in his role as one of the officiants. “Beloved of the couple we honor today,” the woman said in softly accented Standard, “I must break with tradition briefly to provide instruction to our guests from other worlds. The purpose of the ceremony today is twofold. First, we strengthen and recognize the union between these two young people. Second, we weave two families into one. Parents, bring your children close to you. Seat yourselves on the grass.”

Spock and Jim sat side by side. The officiants moved among them, urging them closer to the couple, rearranging the guests’ positions from time to time. Slight, feathered Tolou was moved to one side of the Pierce-Hunnicutts, much to the delight of little Ben, and a pair of middle aged Betazoids were settled in on their other side. Edna O’Reilly sat between Trinna’s parents with her knees hugged to her chest. When the wedding party had been thoroughly mixed so that it was difficult to tell who was here for whom, the officiant raised her hands to shoulder height and passed them over the assembled. It is important that those with strong mind voices bring the rest into the song, in order that the bonds of family be well woven.” She chuckled, then gestured toward the couple’s classmates Tolou and Gnidziejko, and then at Spock himself. “This,” she gestured generally, presumably indicating the ceremony itself, “isn’t going to work if you are shielding.” 

Her voice became formal again. “Lay aside thy veils, attend to the song and the words of the young lovers.”

Jim settled against his still half-raised shields.  _ You all right with this? _

Spock responded by releasing his shields, allowing first Jim and then the rest of the wedding guests to flow into his mind. The presence of so many others was unnerving, but the presence of his bondmate was soothing, safe. The gentle rhythm of drums joined with a wind instrument not unlike a tin whistle in sound quality. His neighbor to the left, a wrinkled Betazoid with sparkling eyes, held out a hand to him. Spock hesitated, but accepted, the other taking a moment to sense the rhythm of his mind before drawing them both into the music, connecting them to the light contact, not quite a meld, forming among the assembled. The music continued for five point seven two minutes while the current of agitation from the members of the wedding party less accustomed to telepathy slowly settled. 

The melody shifted. A voice spoke in time with the music, mind and sound together, “I, Trinna, feel the call of this one, Walter, to my heart and soul. I choose him as partner and lover for all the days I shall live.” There was a slight pause, then, “He makes me laugh and listens to me. He shares his cookies and always knows what tool I need.” Someone among the assembled laughed at the double-entendre. After a moment Walter took his turn. “I, Walter, feel the call of this one, Trinna, to my heart and soul. I choose her as partner and lover for all the days I shall live. She makes me feel safe and smart, and I could look in her eyes all day and not get tired. She is my soft place to fall.”

A third voice said, “Those vows are lovely, and I think they’ll do fine just as they are. For Walter’s family’s sake, though, I’ll add an additional blessing. These words are the oldest known piece of a text sacred to several faith traditions on Earth. From the Book of Numbers: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and grant you peace. Walter and Trinna Lau, I pronounce you husband and wife. Go on and kiss already.”

The timbre of the music changed and the weaving loosened and fell apart, though Spock could sense the formation of new familial bonds he would have to examine more closely in his next meditation session. Walter and Trinna stepped apart a little, waved shyly at their guests, and ducked back behind the curtain to their changing room. Their Betazoid officiant said, “Wedding receptions are attended clothed. There is a light meal in the reception garden around the corner. I thank you all for making Trinna and Walter’s joining precious and memorable.”

She turned away from them to speak to Tolou while little Ben Pierce-Hunnicutt petted the Hanle’s silky blue-black wings. Spock allowed Jim to pull him to his feet and return him to the changing room. “Pity there isn’t really time or privacy for anything other than getting dressed,” he said, before planting a kiss on him that reminded him how much he shared the Captain’s opinion.

“The shower would muffle sound and wash away any evidence,” Spock noted. “We would not be immediately missed.”

“I suspect other couples in attendance have the same idea,” Jim said, dragging him toward the shower. “Really, you have all the best ideas. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  
  



End file.
